Arm-rest device for a chair

Abstract

An armrest device for an office chair comprises a fastening element (6) intended to be fixed to the chair beside the seat (4). The-device further includes an armrest (7, 8, 9, 20) which is connected to the fastening element (6) and has a vertical column (7) so connected to the fastening element as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, a horizontal rear supporting bar (8) connected to the column, and a front supporting bar (9) carrying a forearm rest (20), on which the user's forearm is to rest, and being telescopically displaceable in relation to the rear supporting bar (8) in order to form an armrest that can be lengthened and shortened as desired. The rear supporting bar (8) is so mounted on the column (7) as to be pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis (10). A spring means (15, 16, 17, 18, 19) is arranged to maintain the rear supporting bar (8) in an initial position and to counteract, with an adjustable spring pressure, pivotal movement of the rear supporting bar (8) about the horizontal transverse axis (10) caused by a depression of The forearm rest (20).

I claim: 
     
       1. An armrest device for a chair, especially an office chair, said device comprising a fastening element (5, 6), which is adapted to be fixed to the chair beside the seat (4) thereof, and an armrest (7, 8, 9, 20), which is connected to the fastening element and has a substantially vertical column (7) so connected to the fastening element as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis, a substantially horizontal rear supporting bar (8) connected to the column, and a front supporting bar (9) carrying a forearm rest (20), on which the user's forearm is to rest, and being telescopically displaceable in relation to the rear supporting bar (8) in order to form an armrest that can be lengthened and shortened as desired, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the rear supporting bar (8) is so mounted on the column (7) as to be pivotable about a substantially horizontal transverse axis (10), and that a spring means (15, 16, 17, 18, 19) is adapted to maintain the rear supporting bar (8) in an initial position as regards its pivotal movement about the horizontal transverse axis (10) and to counteract, with an adjustable spring pressure, pivotal movement of the rear supporting bar (8) from this initial position caused by a depression of the forearm rest (20), said spring means (15, 16, 17, 18, 19) comprising a threaded rod (15) which is articulated to the rear supporting bar (8) and extends through a part (14) fixedly connected to the column (7), a spring (19) arranged on the rod (15) between said part (14) and an adjusting nut (17) screwed on the rod (15) for adjusting the pressure exerted by the spring (19), and a stop nut (18) screwed on the rod (15) for setting the initial position. 
     
     
       2. An armrest device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that a spring (22) is arranged between the armrest (7, 8, 9, 20) and the fastening element (5, 6) to return the column (7) to a preset initial position after it has been rotated about its longitudinal axis from this position.